+ Our Lord appears to seven disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. +

+ Jesus breakfasts with seven disciples. +

+ Our Lord appears on Mount Thabor. +

Mystic Monk Coffee - from the Traditional Carmelite Monks of Wyoming

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

On 22 August, 2008, Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we clothed a new novice. The statue of St. Gerard Maria Majella was placed in a position of prominence for the ceremony. The cross that the statue holds contains a First Class relic of the saint. Another relic of the saint was placed on the altar of sacrifice, as was one of St Therese of the Child Jesus. The postulant answers the ritual question 'what do you ask for?':

"Divinae gratiae luminibus illustratus.... Enlightened by the light of Divine grace, I have knowledge and understanding that all the things which the world holds to be great, and which it glorifies, are empty and nothing if not vanity. ....

... My soul, firm and decided, has inspired me to cast myself before the infinite mercy of God, renouncing all things which are of this world, so that with a much greater liberty I may serve my most lovable Redeemer....... Unde intima mihi venit persuasio.....Whence, an intimate persuasion has come to me, that the divinity has called me to consume all the days of my life which will follow, in this venerable congregation of The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer;..." "Indue, Fili, Dominum Jesum Christum, semper mortificationem ejus in corpore tuo circumferens. ... Son, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, always surrounding thy body with His mortification. "The newly clothed novice, Brother Gerardo Maria Majella, stands with his mother at the shrine of St Michael the Archangel.

Dear Friends,Recently we had an e-mail accident. As a result of this we have lost a number of emails from the Inbox, a number of dedicated folders and there are problems with the Address Book.If you are expecting to hear from us and have not heard, please resend your email. We are sorry for this disruption in communications. With best wishes,Fr. Michael Mary, F.SS.R.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

A little late — although not too late! — the hay was baled for the winter months. It was the first time that we have done it ourselves, having in previous years had help from a farmer on Stronsay, and so there were few hic-ups, but all was completed successfully in the end. Below, are some pictures of the work:

Br. Louis Mary, F.SS.R. turns the hay in order to dry it out competely.

Friday, August 15, 2008

The Church remembers today, that by the power of Almighty God, Our Blessed Mother rose from the dead, and was assumed body and soul into Heaven. Tradition tells us, that on this day She obtained from her Son that Purgatory should be emptied, and Saint Alphonsus tells us in his book The Glories of Mary, that every year on this feast of Her Assumption, She obtains the release of numberless souls from Purgatory's cleansing fires.

High Mass was celebrated by Fr. Anthony Mary, F.SS.R. in honour of the Assumption of our Immaculate Queen into Heaven. The intentions of the Mass and all the communions of our community were offered for Fr. John. The following captions are antiphons from today's Office.

Assumpta est Maria in caelum ...Mary has been taken up into Heaven! The Angels are rejoicing; praising they bless the Lord.

Maria Virgo assumpta est ...The Virgin Mary has been taken up into the Heavenly bridal chamber, where the King of kings is sitting on a starry throne.

In odorem unguentorum ...to the fragrence of Thy ointments we will run; the maidens love Thee deeply.

Benedicta filia tu a Domino ...O daughter Thou hast been blessed by the Lord, since through Thee we have partaken of the fruit of life.

Venite adoremus Regem regum ...come let us adore the King of kings, for today his Virgin Mother has been taken up into the highest Heaven.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

This morning Holy Mass for the Vigil of the Assumption was celebrated, and was followed, according to an old custom of St Alphonsus, by Benediction of the Most Holy Sacrament. Today was kept in honour of the second day that Our Lady spent in the tomb.

Ah, how did all the lovely virtues that she had practiced during life surround her blessed bed at the hour of her holy death!— St. Alphonsus: The Glories of Mary.

Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee — Cant. iv. 7

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Today, the feast of Our Lady Refuge of Sinners, gives us the opportunity of keeping a triduum of devotion before the glorious feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven. Tradition relates that Our Lady, in imitation of her Divine Son, was raised body and soul into Heaven on the third day after Her death. Therefore, in remembrance of this we have erected a catafalque in the chapel.

Monday, August 04, 2008

In the background the 'steamer' Varagan is preparing to leave the Stronsay pier at 8.10am.

This morning the seminarian Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer,

in calm seas and good standing,

left Papa Stronsay to catch it.

They are on their way to London

to prepare their travel documents for the seminary.

Br. Magdala Maria, F.SS.R., Br. Jean Marie, F.SS.R.,

Br. Yousef Marie, F.SS.R.,

Br. Martin Mary, F.SS.R., Br. Ivan Maria, F.SS.R.

We are very happy to announce

that at the end of August they will be received by

the Society of Saint Peter's seminary, in Denton, Nebraska.

Prayer for their safe journeyingDominus custodit.... The Lord is your keeper;The Lord is your protection upon your right hand.The sun shall not burn you by day,Nor the moon by night.The Lord will keep you from all evil;May the Lord keep your souls.May the Lord keep your coming in and your going out:From henceforth now and for ever.

Friday, August 01, 2008

"In the Congregation each subject must live solely for eternity. Oh, how happy shall we be if we spend these few short days wholly for God! And he is specially called to do this who, perhaps has already given a good part of his life to the world. Let us keep eternity before our eyes, and we shall suffer every thing in peace and gladness. Let us thank God for giving us so much light, and so many means of loving Him perfectly, and for having chosen us, from the midst of so many others, to belong entirely to Himself in this Congregation by giving us the gift of his holy love. And let us make haste to advance in virtue, in order to please Him, with the thought that, perhaps as St. Teresa said to her daughters, we have already got over the chief difficulty in the way of becoming saints when we turned our back upon the world and all its good: that which is less difficult remains for us to accomplish and then we shall be saints. I am certain that Jesus has prepared a beautiful place in Paradise for those who die in the Congregation. In this world we shall be poor, despised, and looked upon as fools and imprudent persons; but in the next our lot will be far different.

Let us continually recommend ourselves to our most loving Redeemer, hidden in the most Blessed Sacrament, and to the Blessed Virgin; for the members of the Congregation are obliged to have a most special love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and for the Immaculate Mary. Let us have great confidence. Jesus Christ has chosen us to be the great ones of His court: a certain proof of this is the protection which He gives to the Congregation, and to every member of it: Dominus illumination mea et salus mea: quem timebo? (Ps. xxvi. 1)."

"... Perfect Thy work, O Lord and for Thy glory make us all Thine own; so that all the members of this Congregation, even to the day of judgement, may continue to please Thee perfectly, and to gain for Thee a countless number of souls. Amen, amen."

Antisetimism

"Mark well that in the Catholic Mass, Abraham is our Patriarch and forefather. Antisemitism is incompatible with the lofty thought which that fact expresses. It is a movement with which we Christians can have nothing to do. No, no, I say to you it is impossible for a Christian to take part in Antisemitism. It is inadmissible. Through Christ and in Christ we are the spiritual progeny of Abraham. Spiritually, we [Christians] are all Semites."

Pope Pius XI

6 September 1938

Arms of the Royal House of Stuart

Arms of the Cardinal King Henry

King Henry IX of England, France and Ireland; King Henry I of Scotland; Defender of the Faith. 30 January 1788 - 26 September, 1803.